Val's Sister
by Ringprint
Summary: This story suggests that Val had a sister who suddenly re-enters Robbie's life. Story occurs between seasons 7 and 8. All disclaimers apply. Warning - this story gets a bit sappy.
1. Chapter 1

"Dad, if you could come up and help take care of Jack, that would help us a lot."

"I'll put in for the time off and see if Laura can come, too. I'll call you when I know."

"Great! We'd really like that."

As Lewis got off the phone, he headed towards the garden.

"That was our Lyn," he announced happily to Laura. "She's asked me to come up to help take care of Jack. Lyn's got some big certification exam coming up and she'll be taking a refresher class for a week. Jack's nursery school is closed that same week so I can watch Jack while she's out. She said he could stay with Tim's mum, but I said I'd be more than happy to help out."

Laura smiled at Robbie's pleasure at having been asked to spend time with his grandson.

"Lyn would like it you could also come up, too, Laura."

But when Laura looked at her work diary, there were obligations she couldn't get out of. In the end, they decided Robbie would drive up on Saturday, and have time with the family over the weekend, before Lyn's class began. The first day Laura could take off was Thursday, and she would take an early train to Manchester that day. On Saturday afternoon, she and Robbie would return to Oxford.

On the night before Robbie was to leave, they both got home in time for a quiet dinner together. Laura mentioned she'd be house hunting on Saturday. When Robbie looked dismayed to be excluded, she quickly explained a friend from work who has just moved to Oxford was looking for a home for her family, and invited Laura to come along.

"Of course, Gina is looking for a bigger house and one near schools since she and her partner have three children. But this will give me a chance to see what's out there, and what we might like to look at later. It's just research. I promise."

When Robbie nodded, Laura mentioned something else.

"I spoke to Lyn today, and talked her out of having Jack call me "Granny L." I really didn't like it and suggested he call me what my nephews and nieces used when they were little: Lolly."

"Lolly? As in "lollypop?" That's better than Granny L?" Robbie asked skeptically.

"Please don't misunderstand, Robbie. I'm pleased; to be Jack's granny, but "Granny L" sounds too much like granola. Jack already has his Granny, Tim's mum, and besides, Lolly is a special name to me."

"If Lyn's okay with that, okay, but…well." Robbie didn't finish the sentence as he decided he needed to think about that one.

He also wanted to tell Laura about a small change in plans.

"I got a call today from Althea."

"Val's sister?"

"You remember her?"

"She was at Val's service." Laura remembered Althea because she had looked like a younger, taller version of Val.

"Oh, right. Well, Thea - that's what everyone calls her – is visiting a friend near here, and Lyn asked if I'd bring her with me to Manchester."

"Visiting? From where?"

"America. She moved there a long time back. She was a dancer, first in London and then with a group in New York. Sometimes that dance company would come to London. Thea would show up, almost out of the blue and spend a day with us. Then we wouldn't see or hear from her for months, maybe a year. Once Val and Lyn went to London to see one of Thea's shows. Lyn always thought her Aunt-T was the most exciting and beautiful person."

"She must have seemed very exotic."

"Yeah, and by contrast, Val was just Mum."

"But Thea stayed in America?"

"Mm. She got married and they moved to California."

"Was she close to Val?"

"In some ways, but Val was a good many years older, so at times she was more like Thea's second mother. And as Thea grew up, Val thought she became very self-centered. Val got tired of Thea making promises and not keeping them. She'd promise Lyn she'd visit but didn't for a long time. There were other things, and eventually Val and Thea stopped speaking to each other."

"Oh?" Laura prompted, sensing Robbie had more to say.

"Val's mum was ill for a long time, and when she needed help, Val split her time between her home and ours. It was hectic. But our house was too small and Val's mum didn't want to go into some type of care facility."

"Yes, I can understand."

"Thea thought if she sent flowers and called her mum once in a while, well that was enough."

Robbie stopped for a moment, remembering that time.

"A few times, Val asked Thea to bring her son and visit. We thought it would be great for Mum to see Thea and for Val to get a break from running two households. But Thea was selfish, and made all sorts of excuses - she didn't have the time, or Derek was too little, or they didn't have the money. Then Thea and her husband brought a house near San Francisco that Thea bragged about to Val."

"I even tried to talk to Thea and her husband, but it turns out, they ignored me just as easily as they ignored Val."

"About two months before their Mum died, here comes Thea looking like a hero for making the long trip. By that time, we had help from hospice, and Thea was just there for show. Well, her mum was glad to finally see Thea after all those years, but Val and I were very angry. I've hardly spoken to Thea since then."

"When Val died, it was Lyn who called Thea - I wasn't going to. I didn't want to see her. But maybe Lyn was right. And she's still in touch with Thea, and she asked that I give her a ride."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Sure. She's very important to Lyn. When Jack was born, Thea visited Lyn who was really missing her mum then. Thea is Lyn's link to Val, so I'll be civil to her. For Lyn's sake."

"Well, it's only for a few days, and you'll have Jack to focus on. Is Thea staying at Lyn's, too?"

"No, she's staying at a hotel so at least at night I'll have Jack to myself."

And then he looked at Laura. "And tonight I have you all to myself."

"And I you."


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday after breakfast, Robbie left for Manchester. As he had admitted to Laura, it was probably time for the family to heal and he was determined to be pleasant to Thea during the trip.

About 30 minutes later, he parked where Thea was staying, got out of the car and started walking towards the house. At the same time, Thea opened the door, and Robbie stopped abruptly: he looked at Thea but saw Val and was sure she'd come back to him. Losing sense of time and space, he started to falter, and reached out to a fence to steady himself, his eyes still on Thea.

Thea was as beautiful as Robbie remembered Val. Her dark hair had a few dramatic streaks of gray, although she was taller than Val had been, and had a lithe dancer's body and unmistakable grace. Despite the obvious differences between the sisters, Robbie was stunned and felt lost. His brain could not make sense of what his eyes were seeing. One part of him was overjoyed that Val was here, while he ignored his rational side which knew better .

He stumbled towards her, and as she reached to greet him with a hug, he caught a whiff of her perfume. Val's perfume. In hope and desperation, he pulled Thea towards him to kiss her. Closing his eyes, he was propelled back 12 or 14 years as Thea responded passionately.

Almost immediately, the moment was gone. The body his arms encircled did not feel right; it was too angular and too tall. And the kiss was wrong.

He pulled away, mumbling, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Robbie." But it wasn't okay and he knew it. He said nothing but walked over to pick up Thea's suitcase and put it in the car.

They were both quiet for the first ten or 15 minutes of the ride. Why had he started to kiss her, Thea of all people? He felt guilty as well as confused. He'd always thought of Althea as Val's little sister. And as she got older, he had thought of her as a performer, someone who could act nice but wasn't always trustworthy. By contrast, Val was genuinely kind. Moreover, to Robbie, Thea never had Val's sparking laughter. But this morning, his attraction to her caught him by surprise. Was it simply that when he looked at her, he saw Val's eyes, Val's smile? His confusion and sense of guilt deepened.

It was Thea who finally broke the silence and got Robbie to talk. She gently drew him out, asking him first about Laura, and then about his retirement plans, which she had heard about from Lyn. Robbie began to relax, successfully not thinking about how he had acted when he first saw her, and politely asking Thea about her family. She responded, telling him about her son who had recently begun graduate school in Texas. She also mentioned that about ten years ago, she had become a yoga instructor because she enjoyed it much more than dancing. She talked at length about the value of yoga for people of all ages. Robbie knew Laura liked yoga and he began to wonder if he should try it. But thinking about Laura made him feel guilty.

Thea sensed his change in mood and redirected the conversation to Jack, a much safer subject. Soon, they were sharing stories about Jack, which eased the tension in the car.

After a while, when Thea thought Robbie might be open to it, she cautiously broached her estrangement from Val. As she talked, she looked at Robbie, to gauge his reaction.

She started by telling him how upset she had been when Val and Robbie had stopped talking to her, and how she never wanted that to happen again.

She listened to Robbie tell her how difficult things had been for his family, especially for Val and Lyn, and Thea acknowledged and was sorry for the pain she had caused. She talked about having been in counseling and that she was pretty depressed when her mother got sick, and it was her counselor who suggested Thea didn't need to visit. Thea said losing touch with Val had made things worse, and she was now determined not to repeat that. She knew that Lyn needed her, in part to fill the emptiness she had felt over losing Val. Thea and Lyn were frequently in touch, by phone, email, and Facebook.

A lot of what she said was news to Robbie. That Thea cared about Lyn and also for her brother made Robbie begin to feel that Thea's visit was a good thing.

By the time they arrived at Lyn's home, Robbie had pushed the negative thoughts and guilt aside and was ready to enjoy his time with Jack and his mum.


	3. Chapter 3

Although Robbie had promised to text when he got to Lyn's, Laura wasn't surprised he didn't. She knew he'd forget almost everything the moment he was with Lyn and Jack. She just hoped he would remember to call her that night. He did.

As soon as he spoke, Laura could hear the excitement in his voice.

"Hey," she said, "I've been thinking of you. Having a good time?"

"Aye. Couldn't be better."

"That's great, Robbie. How's Jack?"

"He's fantastic. After lunch I took him to a park where there's a stream. We sailed cardboard boats until the water came over his boots and we were both soaking wet. It's good it wasn't cold. Jack loved stomping in the mud, but his Mum wasn't too thrilled with me or him."

Laura grinned. Robbie was in his element.

"How are Lyn and Tim?"

"Fine. Lyn is happy to have us here. And she was glad to spend the afternoon with Thea."

"And the ride up? Did you get on with Thea?"

"Yes. she's been through some tough times and is thinking of moving back."

"To England?"

"Yes, possibly Oxford where she and Val grew up."

"Hm...is she planning to move her family here?"

"No, her son is grown, and she was divorced last year."

"Oh."

"Laura?"

"Mm."

"Sorry but I've got to go. I promised Thea I'd take her to her hotel, and she's ready to leave."

"Oh...sure. When you call tomorrow, I'll tell you about the houses I've seen."

"Houses?" For a moment Robbie couldn't remember what Laura had planned to do over the weekend.

"Yes, I told you. Gina, the new head of the DNA lab, is house hunting tomorrow and I'm going with her. Remember, part of my research into where we might want to live?"

"Of course. Have fun."

The phone went silent.

"Have fun?" she thought.

* * *

Over the next few days, Laura noticed a pattern in their calls. The longer Robbie was away, the more he mentioned Thea, sometimes talking more about her than of Jack. Laura thought he seemed almost like a boy experiencing his first crush and she was uneasy.

On Sunday night, he reported that it was wonderful to have a "real" family meal, but they missed his son.

On Monday night, Robbie told Laura about the visit they all made to Tim's mum's home that evening and what a great time it was. Jack was thrilled to have all his "grans" in one place and, Laura noticed, Thea was one of the "grans."

On Tuesday night, Robbie and Thea were babysitting to give Lyn and Tim a date night. Robbie also reported he was moving into the same hotel as Thea, explaining that the bed at Lyn's was too uncomfortable and his back was paying the price. "Besides, Laura, we'll both be more comfortable, and it's not that far from Lyn's." In truth, Laura wasn't worried about the distance from Lyn as much as Robbie's proximity to Thea.

On Wednesday evening, he called early because he and Thea were going to dinner. Laura tried not to read too much into that news and said nothing.

"Laura, are you okay?" he asked into the silence.

"Fine."

"I miss you. We all do. And Thea is really looking forward to meeting you."

Laura wasn't reassured.

* * *

On Thursday her train arrived on time in Manchester, and she quickly made her way into the waiting room. She had texted Robbie with the train's arrival time and expected to find him and Jack waiting for her. She scanned the large room quickly and saw Robbie standing...with Thea. She was leaning towards him, evidently telling him something amusing, and he was smiling and laughing along with her. They made an attractive couple which...

"Ow!" said Laura loudly and sharply as a girl walked into her and stepped on her right foot.

"Sorry" came the sulky reply.

Laura's cry caught Robbie's attention, and he and Thea trotted over. Robbie got to Laura first and leaned to kiss her, but she turned from him, leaving him to briefly kiss her cheek. He frowned at her.

Thea joined them moments later and pretended not to notice the coolness between Laura and Robbie.

"Laura? Hi, I'm Thea. Are you okay?"

"Fine, just startled and hurt," she replied, not sure if she meant her foot or the way she felt when she saw them together. It was time to change the subject.

"Where's Jack? I expected he'd be here with you."

"He's at a friend's house and we'll pick him up later. He's eager to meet you, Lolly."

In the car park, Laurie followed Robbie to the back of the car where he opened the trunk to stow her valise. Standing there also gave them a few moments alone.

"Are you sure you're fine, Laura? You seem a bit...tired."

"I'm probably a bit more cranky than I should be. Sorry about the way I greeted you. But I think I'll be better once you give me a proper kiss." Robbie obliged and was pleased by her response.

"Better?"

"Mmm...much better."

When Robbie closed the trunk, Laura was surprised to see Thea sitting in the front passenger seat. She gave Robbie a questioning look as he opened the door to the back seat.

"Do you mind? We won't be in the car long, and Thea finds the backseat is a bit cramped because she's tall."

Laura gave a shrug, clambered in behind the driver's seat, and sat next to the child's seat.

En route to Lyn's, the conversation centered on Jack. Earlier in the week, Robbie had taken Jack for a haircut so it was short, "like Granddad's." Then Thea enjoyed recounting a comment Lyn had made: "Jack looks so much like Tim that I wonder if I actually birthed him!" "It's true," Thea went on, "with his coloring and straight brown hair and big brown eyes, Jack looks like Tim, even has some of his mannerisms. Robbie tried to tell Lyn they should have another child, so at least one might resemble her."

"At least she didn't disagree with me," Robbie added.

When they finally arrived at Lyn's house, Laura was pleased to hear Robbie say to Thea, "It's time to get Jack, and Laura and I will do that. Will you let Lyn know."

Thea seemed a bit surprised as she got out of the car, and Laura tried not to allow herself to gloat. Taking her rightful place in the front seat, she knew that without Thea in the car, she and Robbie would be more at ease.

"It's been a good week for you and Jack, hasn't it?"

"Brilliant. Jack is wonderful, and we're really getting to know each other."

"How is Lyn's class going?"

"Good, I think. Tomorrow is the exam and she said she's ready. She's enjoyed this week, too. Going to class everyday with some of her friends, but getting home in the afternoon, so we've had time together. I haven't had this much time with her in a long while, and I've gotten to know Tim better, too."

* * *

A rain storm in the afternoon kept everyone inside. Jack was very excited to be the center of attention. His voice began getting louder and louder, when Thea calmly suggested they do might try some yoga positions. As she watched Thea with Jack, Laura quickly realized that poses like "Bee's Breath" and "Cat's Pose" were designed to help him calm down. They worked.

When Lyn and Thea went to make dinner, Laura spied a basket of Legos in the corner and asked Jack if he'd like to build a garage for some of his toy cars. Robbie said little but savored the sight of Laura sitting on the floor with Jack, taking on her role as his granny. She listened carefully to Jack but didn't crowd him and let him take the lead. As he felt more comfortable, he moved closer to her, sometimes handing her pieces to snap together or asking her how they could add to the garage, which was quickly becoming a large house. By the time dinner was ready, Jack reluctantly helped Laura put the Legos away and then took her hand and asked to sit next to her.

After dinner, when it was time for Jack to go to bed. Lyn wisely deployed her forces to help Jack get ready. She first deputized Laura and Robbie to oversee Jack's bath, and then assigned Thea to read Jack a story. Later, as Tim went up to say good night to Jack, Lyn stood at the front door to hug and thank each of Jack's "playmates" this week: Aunt-T, Lolly, and Granddad.

As the three walked to the car, Robbie asked Laura if she'd like to drive. "Of course," she said, taking the keys from him, smiling as she did.

"Great, I'll sit in the back."

"Oh," said Thea, realizing what was happening. "It's okay, Robbie. You're taller than me - you sit in the front with Laura."

"Sounds like a plan."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you to all the reviewers - I really appreciate your feedback and encouragement.

* * *

As Laura emerged from the en suite on Friday morning, Robbie was finishing up a phone call.

"We've got to get moving, Laura."

"Okay - just give me ten minutes. But why?"

"There's been a change in plans, and Thea asked me to give her a ride to an office somewhere between here and Liverpool."

"Liverpool? That's crazy."

"Yes, but... Well, do you mind taking care of Jack? You two got on so well last night."

Laura looked skeptical at the hastily changed schedule, but she knew Lyn had her exam today and was counting on someone to care for Jack.

"Okay. I'll do some gardening with Jack. I talked to Tim last week, and he's told me where we can plant some flowers. How long will this trip of Thea's take?"

"I don't know. It's something of a mystery to me. It has to do with financial matters, and someone at her bank in America arranged for some transfer of money or something but first she has to open some type of account. I don't understand it but Thea's adviser set up this meeting for her, without any idea of how far it was from Manchester."

"I guess he can't read a map very well."

"He probably didn't even try." Robbie was already wishing he didn't have to go.

* * *

When Laura arrived back at Lyn's house, Tim was waiting for her with a mug of coffee and some fruit and yogurt.

"Lyn hoped this would be enough for your breakfast. She left early, nervous and all about the exam. I'll be leaving for work in about ten minutes, if you're okay with that."

"Yes, thanks, Tim. Have you seen my friend Jack?"

A few seconds later, laughter erupted from under the kitchen table, and Jack slid out from his hiding place, grinning. While Laura quickly finished eating, Jack talked about "playing Legos" with her.

"We could do that, Jack," Laura agreed, "But maybe you'd like to see what I brought?"

His curiosity was piqued and Legos quickly forgotten as Laura opened a small bag and Jack was delighted to see that Lolly had brought packets of seeds. Soon, Laura and Jack were walking around the back garden, talking about what his Dad had already planted there. Laura showed him the area set aside for "Jack's Garden." It was a small plot with adequate sunlight, and Tim had turned over the soil already. She asked Jack to choose which seeds to plant first in his garden. He was unhappy there were no red flowers pictured on the seed packets but finally decided they would start with the marigolds and then plant the cosmos.

From Tim, Laura knew where to find the spades and a watering can. She then showed Jack how to carefully dig holes for the seeds, drop them in and then cover them up. She later used some stakes to attach the seed packets to, so Jack could see where he had planted the flowers.

"Which flowers will grow first?" he asked.

"I don't know. You'll have to tell me. Will you draw me a picture of the plants when they grow?"

"Yes," he promised.

Together, she and Jack removed their muddy boots at the back door to the house. And together they crowded around the small sink in the downstairs bathroom and washed their hands in the warm, soapy water, to clean off the dirt, especially from under their fingernails.

Laura then picked up one of Tim's gardening books, and she and Jack sat on the couch together to look at the pictures and imagine all sorts of green and colorful things growing outside. That made Jack think of another book, and he ran to his room and came back with _Where the Wild Things Are_ by Maurice Sedank.

As they looked at the book together, Jack asked anxiously, "Lolly, will a forest grow in my room tonight?"

"You'll be fine, Jack. There won't be any forest in your room," she assured him.

They read the book twice, with Jack doing most of the "reading" from memory, and then Laura got up to prepare lunch. As she did, she noticed a recent text from Robbie: "Things taking too long. See you in afternoon."

After lunch, the routine called for Jack to have quiet time. Lyn acknowledged he didn't like to take naps anymore, but she insisted he have some time in his room alone after lunch. That meant no telly, no video games or any other "screens." Laura walked Jack to his room, carrying _Where the Wild Things Are,_ and as she placed it on the small bookcase near his bed, she noticed a colorful paper wreath hanging on the wall. The wreath was made of seven cutout hand prints arranged in a circle.

"What's this, Jack?"

"It's my family circle. Well, that's what my Gran calls it. We made it when we were at Granny's. She had all this pretty paper."

Then Jack described how they made the hand prints, demonstrating for Laura. He stretched out his right hand on an imaginary piece of paper and with his left index finger traced his hand. He then tried to mimic cutting the paper.

"Granny had some magazines and we each had to find a picture of something we like and paste it on our hand."

"Is that yours?" Laura asked, pointing to one of the two smaller hands.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"It has a red car on it."

"I'm not good at cutting out so Granddad cut it for me. But I pasted it."

Laura nodded. And then pointing to the next hand over, she guessed: "Is this your Aunt-T's hand? The one with someone doing yoga?"

"Yes. And that's Daddy's," he pointed to the next hand. "It has a picture of some trees."

"Next to Daddy's is Mummy's. You see the bicycle? I found that picture. And then there's Granny's - she has a picture of the Queen because she likes her. Then Granddad's."

"What's that on your Granddad's hand? A boat?"

"It's a canoe. Granddad said he'll build one for me when he stops being a copper."

Laura looked surprised, "Oh? Granddad can build a canoe?" she thought to herself.

Aloud she said, "This last one, Jack, this one between yours and Granddad's? Did you have a friend with you at your Granny's?"

"No," he replied looking up at Laura. "That's yours, Lolly."

"Mine?"

"Yes, Granddad said you are in my family circle, and he said your hand is small, so he made a second hand with mine, and tried to cut it a little bigger. And he said you liked flowers."

Laura saw that "her" hand had a picture of a small red flower. "It's lovely. Did you choose it, Jack?"

"Yes. I rather like red."

"Me, too, Jack."

Jack picked out another book, climbed on to his bed, and then stretched to Lolly for a hug. As she leaned in to hold him, she kissed the top of his head. A few minutes later, as she left the room, Laura was smiling to herself, smiling because of Jack and smiling because she knew Robbie had been thinking of her during the week.

A while later, she heard the door open, but only Thea came in, looking unhappy.

"Is Robbie parking the car?"

"No, he's gone back to the hotel for something. He'll be here soon."

Before Laura could ask for details, Jack came downstairs, thrilled to see his aunt. He ran to her. Thea stooped down to him, ignoring Laura's questioning look.

Lyn returned soon afterwards, happy the test was over and that it had not been as hard as she'd feared. She apologized for being late but she and her mates had gone out for a celebratory lunch, which Laura and Thea agreed was the right thing to do.

Maybe an hour later, Robbie finally arrived. Jack was in the garden showing his aunt and his mum where he and Lolly had planted the seeds; Laura was on the couch, dozing.

"Sleeping on the job, Dr. Hobson?"

"I'm off duty," and gestured to the back window. "Jack's in the garden with Thea and Lyn."

"Ah. Good gardener, me grandson?"

Laura stood up and reached out to him, eager to put her arms around him. As he came to her, she asked, "Is everything okay at the hotel, Robbie?"

His smile faded. "Yes. I'll explain later. This whole day's been...difficult."

"Tell me about it."

"Not now. And I don't want anything said to Lyn. Nothing. Okay?

"Right."

"Now, Laura, how was your day?"

"Splendid. I'm smitten with Jack."

"You mean I have to compete with my own grandson for your affections?"

"Well, he is a very good looking younger man, but I love you both. And I think you've been teaching Jack how to care for those he love."

"What do you mean?"

"His family circle - he showed it to me, and how you made me part of it."

"Of course. You are."

"But, Robbie, it was you who made sure I was included."


	5. Chapter 5

Over dinner that night, there were no signs of tension between Thea and Robbie. Quite the contrary – the mood was jovial, building from Lyn's elation that she'd done well on the test and her contentment to be with family. At one point, Lyn caught Laura's eye and smiled, realizing they were both watching Robbie as he buttered a roll and shared it with Jack. At the end of the table, Thea was laughing with Tim.

Later, soon after Jack went to bed, Thea mentioned she was going to stay for a while, and that Lyn would take her back to the hotel. Robbie looked relieved, and he and Laura left, promising to return in the morning.

At the hotel he suggested they stop for a drink. "We can go to the restaurant here. It's trying to be posh but it has a good selection of ales and very comfortable chairs."

About a dozen other patrons were in the small bar area, but Laura and Robbie found a table in the corner flanked by two overstuffed leather chairs. They sank into the chairs and ordered their drinks.

"You want to know what happened today?"

"Of course."

"Thea's banking errand wasn't the only thing on her mind."

"She looked upset when she got back but said nothing to me. Did that have anything to do with your coming back here?"

"Yes."

"No problem at the hotel?"

"None. I was angry and needed time to cool down before I saw Lyn. So I came back here and just walked around the grounds."

Robbie took a drink of his ale before launching into the details.

"Just about everything that happened this morning was wrong. We left you with Jack, but I couldn't stay because I'd promised Thea. First she suggested we get breakfast and, well, you know me..."

Laura smiled.

"After that, we used GPS on her phone and it still took an hour to get where she had an appointment. I parked the car and waited. After I don't know how long, she came out and said we had to go to a bank, which at least was close to Manchester. So while you and Jack were working in the garden, I was missing you and feeling used. The way she treated me reminded me of how selfish she can be. Val was right."

He took a swig of his drink and continued.

"When Thea was finally done at the bank she said we should take a walk, that she needed to talk to me. And then everything got worse."

Laura looked puzzled as Robbie went on.

"It turns out she thought I wanted to be with her, and not you. I don't know why, but she thought I was interested in her. She said that we - her and me – belong together. I couldn't believe it. She said we had a great time this week and how good it would be for Lyn if we were together. She had transferred some savings to a bank here, and said she's ready to buy a house. She said both of our sons could come to England and we'd all be one happy family. I was furious. She'd been playing me all week. Do you know she even uses Val's perfume? One happy family? No. Me without you is not one happy family."

"But it got worse, Laura. I tried to be nice and tell her no, it wasn't a good idea, but then…"

He took a breath to calm down before going on.

"She said Val would want this."

He stopped again, remembering how hard her words had hit him.

"She said Val would want us to get together, to complete the family. I was shocked. Thea doesn't know anything, and certainly didn't know Val. Val would never have wanted something faked just for sake of family. Thea used Val's name just to try to get to me."

Laura reached out to him. "What happened after that?" she asked quietly.

He took her hand gratefully, squeezing it as if to confirm she was really there. He had told her the worst and now felt the burden of that painful encounter ease a little.

"After that, I could barely speak. I told her I was going back to the car and if she wanted a ride to get in but not talk to me. On the way to Lyn's, Thea cried, said things I didn't listen to, and finally stopped talking. When we got back, the only thing we could agree on was not to tell Lyn."

"You still want the family to heal?"

"Yes, that was the point of this week."

"Not to take care of Jack?"

"What I mean is that once I knew Thea was going to be here, I wanted to make things better for the family. We made progress and the last thing I want now is for Lyn to be caught between me and Thea. We were getting along fine but then she proved it today - I can't trust her. I even wondered if she had planned all this."

"Planned to seduce you?"

Laura released his hand so she could pick up her glass

"Seduce?" He shook his head and smiled sadly at Laura. "No, I think she was just planning to reel me in...a fish on the line. But whatever you call it, the clues are there. Val's perfume. Getting me to drive her up here, and then this morning. And I think she was trying to impress me with her money."

Laura frowned. "I'm not sure that adds up to an airtight case, Robbie. But aren't you worried Thea will hurt Lyn?"

"No. As odd as that sounds, I think she genuinely loves my kids. She got Val and me wrong - completely wrong - but she cares for Lyn. I just don't know why Thea thought I'd go along with her plan."

"Well, you were attracted to her, Robbie."

"What?"

"I could tell from the way you talked about her before I got here."

"No."

"Yes. You went on about how much fun you and she were having with Jack, and how everyone was glad to see her. You sounded so happy."

"That's not true," he said a little louder than he meant to. "I was glad to be with Lyn and her family, and Thea fit in. I was glad you were coming up. Thea was never the reason I was happy."

"What about dinner out the other night - you and her?"

"That was nothing. Tim and Lyn recommended this place. And you probably realized they don't have alcohol at home - I think because Lyn didn't like my drinking after Val died. So Thea and I thought it would be nice to have drinks and dinner here."

"What did you talk about?"

"Jack, of course, and our kids and yoga. Oh, and she likes watching American football."

Laura shook her head. "Think about it, Robbie. When you spent time with her and went out for dinner she could have gotten the impression you liked her."

He said nothing, still not convinced Laura had it right.

"And remember when I got here and I was awful to you at the train station? Thea might have misread that. I know you don't think you did anything to encourage her, but it sounds like she saw it differently. Or wanted to. And, since I've been here, I can see why you might be attracted to her. She has many good qualities. She's wonderful with Jack and is very supportive of Lyn and Tim."

Slowly Laura's words began to make sense.

"Maybe I did encourage her," he admitted, "although I didn't mean to. I told you how she and Val had a falling out? Well, I don't know but when I saw her last Saturday instead of being upset with her, she seemed so much like Val that I lost it. I mean, I lost sight of who she is, and I wanted her to be Val."

Laura sipped her wine, trying to pretend his comment hadn't hurt. But she wasn't prepared by what he said next.

"I'm sorry, Laura, but when I saw her, I started to kiss her."

"'Started to'? What does that mean?"

"It means I...er...hugged her and kissed her, but I knew instantly it wasn't right, and I stopped."

"Stopped, because she wasn't Val?" Laura spoke into her wine glass, not wanting to see Robbie's face.

"No," he said quietly, looking at her, willing her to look at him. When she finally did, he finished the sentence.

"No, Laura, I stopped because she wasn't you."

Laura blinked and stared at him, feeling a wordless mixture of relief, happiness, and confusion. He seemed to understand as he reached over and placed a hand over hers.

"Val is my past, and it was a good past. But, Laura, you are my present and my future. You are my life. And God willing, you always will be."

His grip on her hand tightened, and for a few minutes neither of them spoke.

Laura finally broke the silence. "We were all wrong, I guess - Thea, you and I."

"No, Thea was wrong. But yes, we all saw things in our own way."

"The way I saw it before I got here was that you were falling for her, and I was feeling sorry for myself."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I didn't want to sound whiny, and I knew I should trust you. But it was hard. Since I got here, I've realized how stupid I'd been."

"Not stupid, Laura. Maybe filling in the blanks wrong."

They finished their drinks quietly, both feeling they'd weathered a storm and had come out of it stronger.

"Do you fancy another?" she asked.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather get out of here," and he signaled for the waiter to bring the bill.

As they stood to leave, he said, "Laura, a wise woman once told me you've got to tell people how you feel."

Laura smiled.

"But what she didn't tell me is that sometimes you don't need words, you just have to show them."

"She probably knew you'd figure that part out."

"That must be it. A very wise woman, indeed." And then his voice fell to a whisper so she had to step closer to him to hear. "And now there's something I very much want to show her...but not here."

The wise woman's smile widened as she nodded and took his hand and led him out of the bar, to their room.


	6. Chapter 6

As morning invaded their room, Robbie wanted to linger with Laura, and he watched her stir to wakefulness, thinking she was a most beautiful granny, and one who had completely won Jack over.

But lingering wasn't an option as they both knew this morning was their last chance, for months possibly, to have breakfast with Jack. They soon got to Lyn and Tim's only to find most of meal had been cleared away. To Laura's delight, though, the coffee was still hot and plentiful, and Lyn had saved some pancakes for her father. Thea had eaten earlier and right now, Tim was driving her back to the hotel so she could check out. At Lyn's urging, Thea had decided to spend two more days with Lyn and her family and take a train back to Oxford on Monday.

Laura was beginning to enjoy her coffee when Jack came up to her, urging her to go look at the garden with him. He wanted to check if any of his flowers had started to sprout. Taking her mug, she followed Jack outside, hoping his enthusiasm for gardening wouldn't be dampened by lack of any visible signs of progress.

When Laura and Jack left the kitchen, Lyn was grateful to have at least a few minutes alone with her Dad. He'd been here for a week but most of the time she had shared him with Jack, Thea, or Laura.

"What's up with you and Aunt-T?" she plunged right in.

"Nothing, pet."

"Oh, com'on, Dad. You and she were great all week, and then yesterday...I don't know...things changed."

"What did she tell you, Lyn?"

"Only that you and she had a disagreement. She wouldn't say anything else."

"We did - a big misunderstanding, I think. Nothing for you to worry about."

"So neither of you are going to tell me? Okay, but you'd better be right. I don't want things to go back to where they were, when you and Mum and Aunt-T couldn't be in the same room together. I hated that - people I love barely tolerating each other. She's important to me, Dad. She's visited here a few times and she's the one who suggested I ask you here this week. She's also hoping Tim, Jack, and I could go to America to see her. I've always wanted to do that, but I thought you'd think I was being disloyal, to you, to Mum."

"Ah, I see. But you needn't worry. We might not agree on some things but Thea and I both love you and your family. I'm glad you brought us together this week, and, I promise you, things won't go back to how they were."

Lyn didn't look convinced.

"I promise you that, Lyn," Robbie repeated. Then he moved towards her, to hug her and help reassure her that he meant what he said.

"I'm going to hold you to your promise, Dad."

"You should."

As Lyn let go of her father, she looked happier. "Oh Dad, it has been a good week, hasn't it. I'm glad you were here, and I think Laura's a very good granny to Jack. This morning he drew a picture for her - that's a sure sign he adores her. But probably not as much as you do," and they both laughed.

Later that morning, Thea found a few minutes to talk to Robbie alone. She wanted to apologize, sort of, for yesterday; Robbie then told her about his conversation with Lyn.

"Before you move back to Oxford, Thea, if you decide to, I mean, can you and I agree to jointly pay for Tim, Jack and Lyn to visit you in California? Maybe a surprise anniversary gift to them?"

It was his peace offering to Thea, and she accepted it graciously.

* * *

When Robbie and Laura were getting in the car to leave, Jack looked concerned and, begging them to wait, rushed back to the house. A few minutes later he returned with the picture for Lolly - three figures surrounded by red flowers.

"Is that you, your Mum and Dad, Jack?"

He looked confused because Lolly had gotten it all wrong, "No, that's me, you and Granddad."

Laura studied the picture for a moment and then said, "Of course. My mistake. Thank you, Jack. This is a lovely, and I'll hang it the kitchen at home where we will see it every day."

Jack's face brightened.

"Jack, please come and visit us soon. You and your Mum and Dad."

* * *

During the ride back to Oxford, Robbie told Laura about his conversations that morning with Lyn and with Thea.

"I agree with everything you did, Robbie, and I'll help you keep your promise to Lyn. But do you think Thea will really move back to England? Was she serious about that?"

"Is that bothering you, Laura?"

"Well no, but I think it's a much better idea for Lyn and her family to visit Thea in America."

"But if she did move to Oxford, she might want to buy your house." Robbie didn't have to glance over to know Laura was rolling her eyes at that idea.

"Does that mean you're finally ready to hear about my research into houses in Oxford - remember from last weekend?"

When he nodded, she told him about some neighborhoods they might want to live in and described some houses. She particularly liked the older ones that had genuine historic details, like fireplaces and beamed ceilings.

"But, I guess," she added, "we'll need to find a house with a workshop for all your tools."

"What?"

"You'll need somewhere to build that canoe you promised Jack. I just don't know if we can afford such a house."

He grinned to himself, thinking he really was going to have to figure out how to make a canoe. Having a work space might be useful.

But first he knew he needed to be upfront with Laura about his finances. He hadn't yet told her about his inheritance from Morse and that he didn't rent his flat. Robbie reflected that when Thea had tried to use her money as part of her plan to buy his love or loyalty, that had only served to anger him. But he was also glad he had some money for his family and for Laura. After they got back home, possibly tomorrow, he'd make time to talk with her about finances and let her know that they could afford a house with a workshop. And probably more.

"Laura, I want us to buy a home together very soon" he said. "We're a family and need our own place. Not yours or mine but ours."

She looked over at him, nodding as he continued.

"But what I've learned this week is our house must have a place for a canoe and a garden where red flowers can grow."


End file.
